Arthur Luiz Piza

Exu

Maker

Arthur Luiz Piza (Brazilian, b. 1928), designer

Title

Exu

Year

ca. 1970

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

embossing

Dimensions

91.1 x 62.9 cm (35 7/8 x 24 3/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

lower right corner: "Piza"; lower left corner: "79/99"

Identification

Edition

79/99

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Barnet Fain

Object Number

1997.33

Type

Exhibition History

Historias
Latin American Works on Paper
Aug 09, 2013 – Jan 05, 2014

Label copy

Many aspects of Afro-Brazilian religious traditions are derived from the Yoruba religion of West Africa. In particular, Yoruban deities, or orishas, are widely worshiped and revered. Exu, the divine messenger between the gods and the humans, is one of the most frequently represented of the orishas. Although Exu is usually presented as a being, Piza depicts him abstractly, as an accumulation of web-like layers and ivory squares that resembles a fissure or opening.

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

In copyright This object is in copyright

Tombstone

Arthur Luiz Piza (Brazilian, b. 1928), designer
Exu, ca. 1970
Engraving and embossing
91.1 x 62.9 cm (35 7/8 x 24 3/4 inches)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Barnet Fain 1997.33

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.